June 12, 2008
(JACKSON, Miss.) - Nearly 70 seventh- through 11th-graders from throughout the state will be participating in a two-week program at Jackson State University called Students Investing in Mathematics, Engineering and Technology.
From June 15-27, SIMET participants will be living on campus and learning about Microsoft Office, animation, robotics, developing computer games, building a computer, and designing a bridge with computer software.
The goal of SIMET, now in its second year, is to provide academic support and prepare students for jobs in the information technology field. Information technology is the fastest growing sector in the economy, with a 68 percent increase in output growth rate projected between 2002 and 2012, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
"There's a severe deficit in the number of people to take those jobs, and it's predicted to grow," said Edna Holbrook, SIMET director and mathematics professor at Jackson State. "We want to give students these skills so when they go to college, they're better prepared. If they elect not to go to college, they still have the technology skills to build on to take a technology job."
SIMET is a two-year program that has two cycles. During the summer, students make presentations on their projects on the last day of the program. Second-year students in the 10th and 11th grades intern in the Jackson metro area and learn advanced skills.
During the regular school year, participants receive tutoring in math from 4-6 p.m. Monday-Thursday and study algebra, geometry and trigonometry using computers and calculators. Students outside the Jackson metro area receive tutoring via phone and e-mail. Their parents also participate in four workshops.
"The parents say some students have started to do better in class and have gotten good at using technology," Holbrook said. "The students also have shown improvement in math based on pre-test and post-test scores and have completed all projects they have been assigned."
For more information about SIMET, contact Edna Holbrook at 601-979-5993 or edna.l.holbrook@jsums.edu.
The SIMET participants and their hometowns are:
JACKSON:
Aaliyah Adams,
Cassie Anders, Jackson
Jade Adams, Jackson
Terriona Cowan, Jackson
Gwendolyn Harris, Jackson
Rachel Ighoavodha, Jackson
Bobby Jones, Jackson
Jacob Jones, Jackson
Ashleigh Kennedy, Jackson
Michael Kennedy II, Jackson
Jessica Killingsworth, Jackson
Ashley Lea, Jackson
Raven Robert, Jackson
Jessica Stocks, Jackson
JeMarquis Tate, Jackson
Alicia Williams, Jackson
Willie Bell III, Jackson
Dominique Benson, Jackson
Alexander Bohannon, Jackson
Aviance Caston, Jackson
Acacia Cooper, Jackson
Monquavis Fair, Jackson
Kayla Frelix, Jackson
Kristen Gaddis, Jackson
Kaelin Gates, Jackson
Victoria Griffin, Jackson
Jalysa Edwards, Jackson
Genice Jones, Jackson
Julian Lyons, Jackson
James Adams Jr., Jackson
Isiah Murray, Jackson
Shamar Osborne, Jackson
Kayla Thomas, Jackson
Oscar Williams, Jackson
Timothy Rush, Jackson
Allen Scott, Jackson
HINDS COUNTY (excluding Jackson):
Achnatis Harvey, Clinton
Charles Holbrook, Clinton
Monica Mabery, Clinton
AKendra Lewis, Clinton
Gerald Wicks, Clinton
Xavier Rush, Byram
Theoldridge Sutton, Byram
Joshua Turner, Byram
Miracle Magee, Byram
Marcus Brumfield, Terry
Lenna Elk-Sadek, Terry
Larry Quinn Jr., Terry
MKaysha Butler, Bolton
MKayla Butler, Bolton
MADISON COUNTY:
Phylece Johnson, Ridgeland
Tod Etheredge II, Madison
Bria Lewis, Madison
Cedric Watson, Madison
RANKIN COUNTY:
Cornelia Green, Brandon
Denise Powell, Pearl
HAZLEHURST:
Thaddeus Edwards, Hazlehurst
Donald Sutton, Hazlehurst
Catrice Cezar, Hazlehurst
HOLMES COUNTY:
Keenan Hodges, Durant
Kenya Hodges, Durant
Ruby Kinsey, Tchula
Dominique Watson, Tchula
Loletta Cobbins, Lexington
OTHER:
Dorothy Wilson, Port Gibson
JaKeya Boyd, Greenwood
Johnathan Johnson, Starkville
Seth Holbrook, Glen Burnnie, Md.
